My Natto turned out great! What a blessing to find the sale of such quality spores from this excellent company. Try finding a plastic strainer to buy locally. I couldn't. Good strainer, makes things easier. Thanks! (Posted on 1/16/2013)

Initially I was frustrated a bit when my natto batches were just not coming out as I remembered as a child. Then i realized I was using soybeans that did not look at all like the ones I used so many years ago... they were too large. Large beans will not allow the natto spores to penetrate the bean enough to allow them the needed nutrition to make good natto. So it took a long time in searching and then my wife noticed there is a family farm in Iowa that has started growing really honest to goodness natto soybeans... the tiny ones! Well we ordered them up right away and oh my what excellent natto!! (Posted on 2/13/2013)

Alas I did not have good results, and I think I know why. This baby likes it warm, and I live in chilly New England. Where am I going to get something warm that's big enough for all those beans? The lowest setting on my oven is TOO warm. So I put them on a heating pad that one uses for aquariums with lizards, but that was not enough. I ended up with smelly, moldy beans. I really think that the directions should start one off with a smaller batch. As it is, the recipe calls for a very large amount, and that's not good for starters, when one is still experimenting. There's no doubt that the quality is good, because I did see that stringy web stuff, and it smelled like natto. I just have to figure out how to keep them at the warm temperature they like, and then I think all will be well. I know the Japanese have special natto units to keep them warm, and that may be the best way to go, if you can afford it. I gave value and quality 5 stars here because it's clear to me that the problem is my cold kitchen, and not the culture itself. I guess I'll just have to move to the Florida keys.

Response from CFH: Please contact customer support for troubleshooting advice before discarding product. Many cultures can be saved with minor adjustments. (Posted on 12/6/2013)

Investing in a pressure cooker makes the process of making natto so much quicker and easier. I place the soybeans on a steamer basket over water and cook them under pressure for about a half hour. I've never had a batch go bad using Mitoku spores and organically grown soybeans. Mine are incubated in a covered glass container wrapped in a towel on top of a heating pad turned on low placed inside a recycled styrofoam cooler. (Posted on 12/24/2013)

Well, thanks to Cultures For Health, I now have another addiction. We're a vegan household, and now have natto in our cooking diversity arsenal.

Used our wall oven for for fermenting, with an automobile work light from the garage (the kind with a long cord that you hang under your hood) place on bottom of oven, and an inexpensive Radio Shack indoor/outdoor thermometer probe placed strategically inside to monitor temp. Tried to maintain (semi-successfully) 104f for the 24 hour period.

The natto spores worked like a charm! The 1st batch was a small one, and after that success, did a large batch. Divided the large batch into 25 one-cup freezer containers to defrost as needed. Easy-peasy! Now on to the tempeh... (Posted on 12/28/2013)

Very happy with the natto starter. First batch was so, so. Made a couple of adjustments to my process and the 2nd batch was PRIMO! I had tried to make natto in the past using commercial natto beans as a starter and it did not work well. Your starter was amazing how well it worked. I would recommend this natto moto to all who want to make their own! (Posted on 1/10/2014)